Do you have arthritis and wonder if your condition is severe enough to secure disability benefits?
Unless your impairment meets the Social Security disability eligibility criteria, you won’t get access to benefits.
The Social Security Administration has a specific medical definition of arthritis as a disability. Understanding this concept can be complex, making it challenging to navigate this process.
In this article, our disability law firm in Indianapolis will share our professional insight into filing a claim for SSDI arthritis. You’ll learn the criteria you must meet to qualify and what crucial points the SSA evaluates when reviewing a case.
Use this valuable information to build a solid case and win the benefits you deserve.
Can You Secure Social Security Disability Benefits for Arthritis?
The Social Security Administration (SSA) includes arthritis in its book of disabilities, also known as “Blue Book.”
If you have any of these symptoms, you may access Social Security disability benefits:
- Severe joint pain
- Joint stiffness or tenderness
- Limited flexibility
- Inability to walk or stand up for extended periods
- Severe back pain
To secure the benefits, your arthritis symptoms must stop you from performing Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA). That means you can’t engage in a job that enables you to earn enough money to provide for yourself and your household.
To prove arthritis negatively impacts your daily activities and ability to work, you must show medical evidence that supports your claim.
Is Arthritis the Most Approved SSDI Disability?
Arthritis tops the list of the most approved disabilities for Social Security benefits.
Musculoskeletal and connecting tissues disabilities make up the most common approved health conditions for SSDI.
Does that mean that if you have arthritis, you have a free pass to disability benefits? Sadly, not at all. Having this impairment doesn’t automatically qualify you for SSDI arthritis.
The reason why musculoskeletal diseases have a high approval rate is because such medical conditions are very common, not because the application process is any easier.
Even with an arthritis diagnosis, you may still not get disbaility benefits. Your symptoms must be severe enough to prevent you from working, and you must meet the SSA disability requirements.
How The SSA Classifies Different Types of Arthritis
The SSA doesn’t directly list “arthritis” in its Blue Book. Instead, the organization mentions this condition under two separate categories:
- Musculoskeletal disorders.
- Immune system disorders.
Musculoskeletal Disorders
The SSA lists health impairments such as osteoarthritis, spine osteoarthritis, and facet arthritis under the musculoskeletal disorders section.
Musculoskeletal disorders are conditions in which the skeletal spine presses against a nerve route or presses abnormalities of a major joint in the upper or lower body. With these types of severe disorders, arthritis patients are more likely to secure disability benefits.
Immune System Disorders
This category includes conditions such as inflammatory arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, gout, pseudogout, and psoriatic arthritis.
These types of arthritis can be more challenging to prove and secure disability benefits for. The SSA will determine your case by evaluating whether your symptoms (joint pain, swelling, and tenderness) are severe enough to hinder your ability to work.
When Is The Right Time To Apply for SSDI Arthritis?
Unless your arthritis is severe enough, you won’t pass the SSA’s strict eligibility requirements.
Filing an SSDI arthritis claim can be a lengthy, nerve-wracking process. You probably don’t want to go over all that hard work unless you have good odds of securing the benefits.
So, when is the ideal time to apply for disability? It depends.
Some people never develop severe symptoms to make them disabled; therefore, they should never apply for SSDI, as the SSA will likely not approve their claim. Others might get intense symptoms from the disease onset, so they have a chance to apply for disability benefits more quickly.
Arthritis disability symptoms can range from occasional joint tissue stiffness to disabling chronic pain and lack of mobility. With that in mind, a medical diagnosis of arthritis may not be enough to secure SSDI.
To qualify for Social Security disability benefits, you must have an arthritis diagnosis and meet the following claimant eligibility:
- Prove how much your arthritis prevents you from performing a Substantial Gainful Activity.
- Severe joint inflammation (proof through image test).
- Loss of flexibility, range of motions, and grip strength (proof through the test).
- Measure of disability through motion, dexterity, and strength tests.
SSA 5-Step Evaluation Process: What Do You Need To Qualify?
How can you know if your arthritis makes you eligible for Social Security disability benefits? You can find out if you meet the requirements by reviewing your condition under the SSA 5-step evaluation process.
The SSA uses this method to assess disability claims and determine whether an applicant deserves the benefits:
1. Are You Working? – Financial and Work Activity Review
As a first step, the SSA will review your financial situation and ability to work.
This federal organization defines work as your ability to engage in a Substantial Gainful Activity. If you are working and earn more than SGA, the SSA will deny your arthritis disability claim.
To be eligible, your arthritis must prevent you from working altogether or earning less than $1,550 per month (the SGA amount as of 2024).
2. How Severe is Your Arthritis? – Assessing Your Limitations
The next step in the SSA evaluation process is assessing the severity of your health condition.
To qualify for SSDI, your arthritis should be severe enough to hinder your ability to work and perform daily activities, such as experiencing difficulty dressing or doing house chores.
Some individuals have severe health conditions but can still perform daily activities and their work responsibilities. For example, if you have arthritis but you manage the symptoms through physical therapy, the SSA will consider your impairment as “not severe.”
3. Does Your Arthritis Meet A Medical Listing? – SSA Impairment Criteria
This step determines your medical eligibility. The SSA breaks down physical and mental impairments into 14 categories, which they call “medical listings.”
Depending on the type of arthritis you have, it can fall under two categories: Musculoskeletal Disorders (Listing 1.00) and Immune System Disorders (Listing 14.0).
Each category has specific eligibility criteria for your arthritis to qualify and secure the benefits.
4. Can You Perform Your Old Job? – Previous Employment
Can you still perform your previous job (generally the one you did during the last 15 years)? If so, the SSD will consider you not disabled and will deny your claim.
The SSA also reviews your residual functional capacity (RFC) based on your current work function abilities. If you can no longer perform your old job, the SSA will proceed to the final step.
5. Are You Capable of Perfming Another Job? – Current Work Capacity
At this point, the SSA will determine if you can perform another type of employment.
During a final medical-vocational assessment, the SSA will review different vocational factors, such as age, education, and work history, to see which, if any, other job you can do.
If the SSA finds another work you can do, you will be denied disability benefits. But if you can’t perform any other kind of job, the SSA will approve your claim.
Benefits of Hiring A disability Attorney To Fight Your Case
In the most challenging cases, finding an arthritis disability claim can be an uphill battle.
You may not know if your symptoms are severe enough to qualify, the difference between disability programs, or how to gather medical evidence.
From explaining the main difference between SSDI and SSI to communicating with your physician, a disability attorney can take the heavy load off your back.
These are the main benefits of working with a professional disability law firm:
Knowledgeable Advice and Guidance (No More Walking in The Dark)
When partnering with a disability attorney, they’ll put their years of experience to work in your case.
Experienced disability lawyers have handled hundreds of similar cases throughout their careers. They know how the system works and what makes a case successful.
Your lawyer will clarify any doubts you have regarding eligibility or the best steps to take and point you in the right direction. Their professional advice is priceless in complex cases that require claimants to build a solid case.
Ensure Your Case Is Solid (And Improve Your Chances of Winning)
A disability attorney can build your case from scratch or review it if you have already begun to prepare the claim.
For example, the law firm will assess the medical evidence you gathered, ensuring it is compelling, relevant, and current. Furthermore, your lawyer will organize the documents to present evidence in a way that highlights the impact of arthritis pain in your work and daily life.
After building a solid, flawless case, the attorney will file the claim. They will follow up on your case in case you need to provide new evidence or submit any other documents.
Get Your Benefits Faster
While no one can hurry SSA case evaluation time frames, working with a skillful lawyer can speed up the process.
Collecting medical evidence, talking with your healthcare providers, and filling out extensive paperwork takes time, especially if you are not entirely sure what you are doing.
Disability lawyers will likely have filed SSDI arthritis claims before; they know the drill, have the right contacts, and can smooth out the application process.
Additionally, they help you access benefits quicker by getting it right the first time.
The SSA usually takes about five months to review a claim. If they find an issue, like a missing document, they can deny your claim, and you will have to appeal or start over.
Filing a new claim will take another couple of months, during which time, if you can’t work, bills can start piling up.
Your chances of winning disability with a lawyer significantly increase, even from the initial claim.
Save Time and Gain Peace of Mind
Besides saving precious time, you will also gain peace of mind.
Filling a disability claim tends to be a stressful process. You can’t work due to your arthritis symptoms, debts start creeping in, and you need financial assistance promptly.
Hiring an attorney enhances your chances of winning disability benefits and experiencing financial relief.
Besides, you can forget about filling out endless paperwork and scheduling doctors’ appointments to obtain medical records.
You can focus on your arthritis treatment and feeling better while a dedicated lawyer handles your case.
Are You a Veteran? A VA Lawyer Can Help You Get The Right Benefits
Active-duty military service members are more prone to develop arthritis than civilians.
Are you a veteran filing a disability compensation claim? For veterans, the disability application process is slightly different. For example, you don’t have to apply with the SSA but through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
The VA will evaluate your medical condition, and if you qualify, it will assign you a rating. The disability rating determines your benefits amounts.
A VA disability lawyer can help you prove the severity of your impairment and obtain the benefits you deserve.
Pay Only If You Win Your Case
Our disability law firm worked on contingency. That means we only charge you our fee if you win your Social Security disability case.
You don’t have to worry about upfront or hidden fees during the process. We always keep transparency and communication open with all our clients.
Work With a Dedicated Disability Law Firm in Indianapolis
Do you need assistance building a winning SSDI arthritis case?
Our dedicated disability attorneys have handled numerous arthritis cases before. From straightforward claims that smoothly lead applicants to their benefits to complex cases that require extra effort and a detailed strategy, we’ve done it all.
Are you ready to secure the benefits you deserve? Don’t hesitate to contact us; our team of empathetic and skillful lawyers is here to help you obtain your benefits and regain peace of mind.
